UN analyzing samples from Syria attack

UNITED NATIONS -- UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said Monday that if chemical weapons were used in an Aug. 21 attack that killed hundreds of people, "that would be an abominable crime."

A UN team of weapons experts is analyzing samples taken from the site of the alleged attack, but has not released its findings.

The team, headed by Ake Sellstrom, is charged only with determining whether chemical weapons were used, not identifying who used them.

Ban's news conference in New York on Monday came amid President Barack Obama's campaign to convince members of Congress to approve a military strike against Syria in retaliation for the Syrian government's alleged use of chemical weapons in the attack in Ghouta, a suburb of Damascus.

It also came as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reportedly asked Syria to place any chemical weapons it possesses under international control and have them destroyed.

Ban said he was considering urging the Security Council to require the same kind of action.

Lavrov's proposal was made as Syrian President Bashar Assad declined in an interview with Charlie Rose to confirm that his government possesses any chemical weapons.

Estimates for the number of people killed in that incident range from several hundred to more than 1,400.

"Should this be confirmed . . . then this will be an abominable crime and the international community would certainly have to do something," Ban said, declining to elaborate on what should be done but adding that the 21/2-year civil war in Syria has produced an "embarrassing paralysis" in the Security Council.

China and Russia have blocked at least three resolutions aimed at stopping the bloodshed on the grounds that they went too far and authorized the removal of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power has said that the Security Council was blocked again from approving a resolution condemning the use of chemical weapons by Russia, shortly after the Aug. 21 attack.

But Ban was hopeful that the confirmation of the use of chemical weapons could break the deadlock in the deeply divided Security Council.

"Should Dr. Sellstrom's report confirm the use of chemical weapons then this would surely be something around which the Security Council could unite in response," he said.

Ban also said that he is hopeful that the long-delayed conference that is supposed to take place in Geneva still happens, despite the threat of a military strike by the United States to punish Syria.

Lavrov has said that such a strike could doom the conference, which is designed as a diplomatic resolution to the military conflict in Syria.

"Of course, we can easily think that this may affect negatively to convening the Geneva conference, but it is important that we continue to pursue to convene the Geneva conference as soon as possible," he said. "A political resolution is the only viable option at this time."